Sukumaran Nambiar, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national executive member, died of heart attack on Sunday, party sources said.
He was 64. He is survived by his wife and two sons. Soft-spoken Nambiar was the son of late Tamil actor M.N. Nambiar. In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, he unsuccessfully contested against DMK's candidate from North Chennai constituency.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa condoled the death of Nambiar.
"He was an expert in several martial arts, with a black belt in karate. He trained personnel of the Indian Army in martial arts," she said.
She said Nambiar like his father evinced keen interest in spiritualism and was president of the Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sangham.
"In his passing away, we have lost a true patriot and a person who untiringly served society," she said.
Nambiar was also the president of the Madras Rifle Club.
BJP leaders like Pon Radhakrishnan, L. Ganesan and others paid their last respects to Nambiar. Party president Nitin Gadkari is expected to arrive on Monday morning to pay his last respects.
Tamil Nadu Finance Minister O. Panneerselvam and Congress leader E.V.K.S. Elangovan also paid their respects to Nambiar.